Resurrection
by Ms.Bkw0rm
Summary: Robin has always worn masks, even in front of his closest family, his teammates. He never had much of a choice. After all, his secrets were never entirely his own. But as old relationships resurface and loose ends from his past begin to interweave with the threads of the present, is there any other way to resolve the tangle than to reveal hidden history?
1. Homecoming

_Disclaimer: I do not own 'Teen Titans' or any other DC characters. Some elements of magic/mysticism/alchemy present in this story inspired by_ The Amaranth Enchantment _by Julie Berry, the_ Saranormal _series by Phoebe Rivers, the_ Keeper of the Lost Cities _series_ _by Shannon Messenger,_ The Swan Kingdom _by Zoë Marriott,_ Court of Fives _by Kate Elliott,_ _and the_ Princess of the Midnight Ball _trilogy by Jessica Day George (I do like books other than fantasy, I swear!). The video game title "Attack of the Cloud Sharks" is borrowed from one of ShiningHopeBeast's Teen Titans fics,_ Realities of Life _, and is used with her express permission (this one's on hold 'cause of lack of support, so you should totally read and review! SHB would really appreciate it)._

* * *

 _Kin by birth and kin by blood_

 _Kin through trials, kin through love_

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

Robin growled and pounded his desk with his fist in frustration. The pushpins in their boxes gave a little leap, and a few landed on the floor, but at this point he no longer cared. He hardly had enough left in him to care about anything except for the map in front of him. He had been glaring at the bird's-eye depiction of Jump City ever since Slade's last attack the previous evening.

The acrobat closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with green-gloved fingers in a vain attempt to clear his head. Slade had struck nearly a dozen times in the past three weeks, sending out what had to amount to a full army of Slade-bots, but never once showing his own one-eyed mask. Robin knew that Slade never made a move without a calculated reason and extensive planning, in which respect he greatly resembled Batman, or even (he was forced to admit) himself. Above all, unlike many other villains, the mercenary never committed a crime merely for the sake of chaos itself. Yet at each occurrence, the robots had seemed to have no clear target or focus besides destruction. Marking the locations with red pins on his map hadn't revealed any patterns either. He had even marked high-end tech companies and other notable businesses with white pins, knowing from experience that they were often the prime focus of Slade's attention. It was clearly not the case here. None of the red pins were anywhere near the white ones. Not even the coordinates themselves gave any clues. Each point was in a different sector of the city, as if the man were systematically covering each area, yet there seemed to be neither rhyme nor reason as to the order he moved in.

He let out another growl, this one mixed with a sigh. A practical part of his mind was telling him that he was getting nowhere, that he needed to rest, but a larger portion drowned the first one out, saying to himself that he couldn't wait until he had determined Slade's intent. Battling fatigue, hunger, and what threatened to become a migraine, he opened his eyes and confronted the map once more.

He heard the door to his room slide open behind him. "I'm busy, Cyborg," he called tersely, no longer searching for anything so much as simply staring at the pin-dotted expanse of parchment.

The half-robot stepped in and approached his leader as the door closed behind him. "Robin, you haven't left this room since we got back after taking out those Slade-bots last night." He stopped short as he caught sight of the Boy Wonder's drawn and haggard face. "Don't tell me you haven't _slept_ all this time either."

"Fine," said Robin, not once taking his eyes off of the map. "I won't tell you."

Victor shook his head. "This is ridiculous, man - "

"You know what's ridiculous?" Robin snarled as his patience broke. " _This!_ " he spat, and whacked the map with the back of his hand, stinging his knuckles. He shook out his right hand and gesticulated wildly with his left as he ranted, "None of it makes any sense! There's no pattern, no system, no _logic_. It's like Slade isn't even the one behind any of this!"

Even as he said the words, both boys knew there was no way the last statement could possibly be true. Slade would never let anyone, not even his apprentices, have control over his own tech, whether by force or by delegation. Still, Cyborg could see what his friend was talking about. Even with his state-of-the-art data analysis software, he couldn't find any statistical trends.

"Slade knows you pretty well by now. Maybe he's just tryin' to mess with your head," he suggested.

"He already tried that with a handful of dust last year," Robin retorted grimly. "And it worked pretty well."

"Don't remind me." The memory of their friend and leader coming so close to death that night still sent a glitch through his system every time he thought about it.

He was letting himself get distracted, though. He had come here to persuade Robin to come out and eat lunch, not get caught up in his fanaticism.

"Well, if you're gonna go without sleep, you at least need some nourishment," he admonished gently, suddenly inspired as to how to use his friends own motivations to convince him. "Draining your batteries like this without refueling ain't gonna help you beat Slade." He held his breath and waited, half-expecting Robin to explode on him as he continued to stand gazing blankly at the map for a moment. All of a sudden he turned sharply around.

"Fine," he muttered, rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand and trudging out of the room.

Cyborg followed, slightly stunned by his success, and managed to call out with forced cheer, "Good! I made turkey sandwiches, so you won't have to deal with none of BB's tofu nonsense." Normally under such circumstances he would have had a satisfied grin on his face, but after what he'd just seen, he was worried. He could tell that Robin was under a lot of stress, and he knew from experience that it would only grow worse the longer things went on unresolved.

He had a hunch that it was gonna take more than a turkey sandwich to fix things.

 **~#~#~**

In the common room, Raven floated by the window with her nose in a book as Beast Boy polished off the last bites of some unidentifiable tofu concoction. Starfire was licking the mustard from her sandwich off of her fingers when the door opened and the other two members of the team entered, causing the empath to cringe and descend to the floor. Frustration, stress, and exhaustion rolled off of Robin in waves, and his headache was giving her a physical pain at her own temple. Entering his mind to locate him had given her a familiarity with his mind that made her more sensitive to his thoughts and emotions. As a result, his pain affected her more than the same feelings would have coming from almost anyone else. Cyborg's anxiety wasn't making her feel any better, nor was the sudden burst of happiness that came from Starfire as she rushed over to the detective and embraced him, crying out, "Robin! At last, you have abandoned the solitude!"

"Dude," called out Beast Boy, who was stacking plates in the sink. "I was starting to think you'd turned into a hermit." His back was towards the couple, so with Raven left currently unable to process Robin's rising pleasure and slight embarrassment, Victor was the only one who noticed the flush seeping across his friend's face. He suppressed a smile as he retrieved his and Robin's sandwiches from the counter and set them on the table.

Kori finally released her boyfriend and floated off to her room to feed Silkie as Garfield began channel-surfing from the couch, and Robin was finally able to sit down and begin his lunch. As he took his first bite, he realized just how hungry he was and proceeded to wolf down his sandwich, momentarily distracted from thoughts of Slade. The abatement of his stress allowed Raven to lift her head and open her eyes, but the worried buzzing of his subconscious acted like a psychic static, preventing her from focusing on her book once more. Instead, she continued to sit on the floor and gaze distractedly about the room, from Beast Boy, who still hadn't seemed to find a program he liked, to Cyborg, who was busy artfully slathering his sandwich in Cy-B-Que sauce, to Starfire, who was just returning from tending to her little bumgorf, back to Robin, who had finished his lunch and was taking an aspirin for his headache. "I'll be in my room," he said, beginning to head for the door.

Cyborg instantly jumped up from his chair and neatly cut Robin off. "Oh, no you don't," he scolded, wagging his finger at the masked teen like a strict parent. "You've been spending way too much time alone in that cave of yours."

Robin seemed determined to push straight through him when Starfire approached from the side. "Friend Victor is in the right," she said gently, the stern frown on her face mixed with an expression of deep concern. "So much of the seclusion by one's self in the darkened chamber cannot be healthy for the human creature any more than it is for the Tamaranean." At this, he hesitated, and Raven could sense that he was wavering when Garfield saw fit to speak up.

"Totally!" he exclaimed, kneeling on the sofa cushions and looking over the back at Robin. "Too much stress gives you high cholesterol!"

"Blood pressure," Raven corrected from behind _One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch_.

"Whatever," the shapeshifter said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The point is, dude, you need to take some time to chill out!"

Cyborg folded his arms over his metal chestplate, clearly not about to budge. "You are not goin' back to that room until we find a non-work-related activity that'll get you to relax." Starfire crossed her arms in clear imitation of their friend's adamance, and Beast Boy followed suit, grinning at the prospect of forcing their leader to do something for a change. Raven continued to silently watch them over the top of her book.

At last, Robin gave in. "Fine," he grumped, plopping himself down on the couch in irritation. Raven could feel his anger soften, though, as the alien princess to giggle and clap her hands in obvious delight.

"So," declared Cyborg, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Anybody got any ideas for an activity?"

Garfield looked up, his eyes glinting mischievously. "We could have him spend some quality time with Starfire in an empty closet," he suggested slyly.

Three voices called out, " _Beast Boy!_ " all at once, though from Robin it was more of a yelp as his face flushed a deep red.

Cyborg shot daggers with his look at his buddy as Starfire furrowed her brow in confusion. "But will not the entrapment within the dim and closely confined area only serve to increase the distress of our friend?"

"Exactly, Star," Raven quickly replied before the shapeshifter had a chance to say anything else. "Which is why we will _not_ be doing _anything of the kind_." She joined Vic in giving the green teen a death glare, for once grateful that Koriand'r didn't fully understand the nuances of human speech.

Beast Boy cowered in his seat and held up his hands as if to shield his face from projectiles. "Okay, okay; it was just a joke!" he squeaked. All of a sudden he perked up and asked, "How about a video game?"

 **~#~#~**

Robin was too distracted by the Slade situation to focus on playing _Attack of the Cloud Sharks IV: Return of the Torrential Tuna_ with Gar. The same was true while shooting hoops on the roof with Cyborg. He listened with as much patience as he could muster to the Tamaranean _Ode to Peace and Tranquility_ , but after the seventeenth verse of nerve-grating discord, he had to explain to Starfire, as gently as he could, that her singing wasn't helping him. She was disappointed at first, but agreed that it would probably be best to try something else.

They had resorted to letting Garfield tell corny jokes when Raven decided she had finally had enough. "That's it," she declared after Beast Boy had made yet another cringe-worthy pun. She stood up and slammed her novel shut with an authoritative _whump_ , causing all eyes in the room to turn to her. "I'm taking over." With that, she strode across the room and grabbed the Boy Wonder by the wrist. They both flinched at the contact, Robin from surprise and shock, Raven in pain at the amplification of all his negative energy. Nevertheless, she continued to drag him inexorably down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" he managed to ask, flustered.

"To the roof," she replied, not bothering to look back at him as she pulled him into the elevator.

"So...what exactly are you planning on doing?"

"Relieving your stress."

"Riiight, but, um...how?"

"I'm going to teach you how to meditate." The sorceress could feel the surprise and confusion billowing off of the acrobat, but he remained silent, and she did likewise.

When they arrived on the roof, Raven sat down in lotus position with her back to the open ocean and motioned for Robin to take a seat across from her. She was afraid that seeing the city from this height would only serve to remind him of the Slade situation.

"Close your eyes," she commanded, and he obeyed. "Find your center. Focus your energy."

"Azarath . . . metr-"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "My mantra won't work for you. You need to create your own."

He opened his eyes in confusion. "Starfire always uses your mantra when you meditate together."

"When Star and I switched bodies, we had to learn to become one, another in a way; learn each other's history and perspective," she explained. "She knows what the words mean to me, and she's felt for herself the effect that they have on my powers. You and I don't share that kind of a bond. Besides, Star does it mainly so that we can connect with one another somehow, not because she's searching for balance." As Robin began to nod his head slowly in comprehension, she continued, "So I'm going to help you develop a mantra the same way I was taught to come up with mine: by asking you questions that should reveal things that are important and meaningful to you. Close your eyes." As soon as he had done so, she asked, "Where was your first home?"

"Gotham City," he answered without having to think.

Raven paused to consider before inquiring, "What is the name of the person who has been the greatest positive influence on you so far?"

"Koriand'r." He wasn't quite sure why he had said her full, real name, but it had seemed to roll naturally off his tongue.

The empath was scrambling to come up with a final question. All of a sudden, it came to her: "What is your most treasured physical possession?"

He swallowed before whispering, "Briefcase," and she nodded, even though he couldn't see her, understanding that he did not mean the briefcase itself, but rather the item that it contained.

"Now put those words together," she instructed. "Gotham...Koriand'r..." He nodded and began to chant. She waited until she sensed that he was becoming absorbed in the repetition before silently levitating to another corner of the roof. She needed to process all of the negativity that had barraged her this afternoon.

"Azarath...metrion...zinthos..."

 **~#~#~**

She opened her eyes, relishing the feeling of the balance and tranquility she had achieved. At least an hour had passed, and evening was quickly approaching, though the days had begun to lengthen with the season. She could hear and see Robin still lost in meditation, and as she stood to go to him a breeze swept through her hair. She had been letting it grow out at Starfire's encouragement, and it was now at a length where she could tie it back if she needed to, a few inches past her shoulders. It had also darkened over the past few months, deepening from violet to a midnight purple.

As she approached, she heard the acrobat repeat his mantra a final time before taking a deep breath. Crouching beside him, she touched him gently on the shoulder and quietly asked, "Feeling better?"

A relaxed smile spread across his face as he opened his eyes. "Yeah," he sighed. He turned to face the sorceress. "Thanks, Raven."

"You're very welcome," she replied with a tiny smile of her own. "Come on, we'd better head back in. Cyborg's not going to be happy if you miss dinner."

 **~#~#~**

That evening, the other Titans could clearly see the change in their leader. Throughout the meal, Robin joked and bantered with the other boys, and even suggested a group outing sometime the next week. Starfire bubbled with excitement and happiness, and Cyborg gave Raven a nod of approval as Beast Boy fumed at not having a sufficient comeback for Robin's latest witticism. He quickly recovered his good humor, though, and invited the acrobat to watch a movie with the rest of them after dinner.

"No, thanks," he replied. "I think I'm just going to head back up to my room."

Cyborg instantly jumped up. "We just spent a whole afternoon tryin' to get you to relax, and now you're goin' straight back to work again?" he yelled, practically snorting flames.

"Actually, I was thinking of getting to bed early tonight," Robin corrected, rather amused by Victor's typical reaction. "Like you said, I need to recharge my batteries."

Mollified by these statements and a bit embarrassed by his own rashness, Vic sheepishly apologized, "Sorry, guess I did jump to conclusions there."

"That's all right," the Boy Wonder replied with a smile. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night," the others chorused as he stood.

Starfire rose along with him. "I believe it is also time of bed for Silkie as well," she cooed, scooping up the wriggling larva. "But I will return shortly for the communal viewing of the film."

The pair exited the common room and walked together in comfortable silence until they reached the branch in the hallway that divided the guys' rooms from the girls', and Robin felt the urge to say something. "Star," he called, almost shyly, and the alien turned to face him.

"Yes, Robin?" she questioned, wearing that smile that always made his heart beat faster and looking at him with those large, kind green eyes.

He swallowed, then cleared his throat awkwardly and continued, "I wanted to thank you for trying to help me this afternoon. It really means a lot to me." He inwardly cringed for sounding so cliché, but then her smile broadened.

"Please, you are most welcome, but there is no need of the thanks," she insisted. "I would never hesitate to offer the assistance to any friend in need." She dipped her chin and gazed at him bashfully through lowered lashes. "But most especially you."

Both his heart and his cheeks were warmed by the sentiment, and he couldn't help but smile back at her as he said, "Good night, Star."

"Good night, Robin," she replied sweetly. She began to turn away, but stopped in surprise as Robin took two quick steps to stand beside her. He gently cupped her chin with curved fingers and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before swiftly disappearing down the hallway.

It was Kori's turn to blush this time as she stood with a drooling, half-asleep Silkie in one arm, her other hand resting lightly on the spot where his lips had brushed hers. For a long moment, she remained gazing in the direction where her friend who was a boy had gone before finally making her way to her own room.

 **~#~#~**

Robin covered a yawn with his hand as he walked through the automatic door. He caught sight of the pushpins that had fallen earlier still lying on the floor and went to pick them up. As he replaced them in their container his eyes fell on a sector in the center of the map which had two schools at opposite ends of it: one a prestigious private school with an excellent reputation, the other a run-down public school with an astoundingly high drop-out rate and which was notorious for violence. A red pin was tacked near the sector boundaries, less than a block from the public school.

He stood for a moment in contemplation, his brow furrowed as the wheels of his mind began turning. He abruptly began stabbing the map with pins, marking all the public schools in white and the public schools with black.

Who needed sleep, anyways?

 **~#~#~**

Raven had to suppress a smirk as Kori entered the common room, practically glowing and floating a foot off of the ground. She had sensed the flirtatiousness between Starfire and Robin as strongly as if they would have been in the same room as her. Now, however, the sorceress expected that Robin's high state of mental excitement would begin to die down as he succumbed to sleep. Or so she thought.

Twenty minutes later, as the heroine of the movie was admitting her feelings for the hero to her bosom friend, she could still feel his mind frantically buzzing. Disconnected fragments of _'...Slade...school...crime...violence...children...'_ flitted rapidly through her brain. Victor happened to glance away from the tender "sister" moment on the screen just in time to catch Raven's flicker of a frown. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked in a whisper.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just distracted by the chain of Robin's thoughts."

Cyborg started to nod in understanding, but as he grasped the full implications of what Raven had just said, his human eye widened. "You mean he's still awake?" Before she could formulate any response, he narrowed his eye and said, "He's working on the Slade case again, isn't he?" Without waiting for an answer, he jumped up and stormed out of the room, muttering something about " _that little spiky-haired workaholic_ " under his breath.

All the fuss had by this time diverted Beast Boy's attention from the movie, and he now whispered to Raven, "Do you think we should go after him?"

"They'll be fine," the empath replied dismissively, seemingly becoming as absorbed in the film as Starfire, whose gaze hadn't left the screen once throughout the entire disturbance. The shapeshifter made one last worried glance toward the door before imitating Raven, knowing that she was probably right. Robin could take care of himself, and besides, as much as he might have been concerned for their leader, Gar did _not_ want to be nearby if and when Vic exploded.

 **~#~#~**

Cyborg entered irately without knocking, but as he opened his mouth to begin yelling Robin called out over his shoulder, "I think I've got a lead on Slade!" marking three orphanages with black pins in rapid succession as he spoke. Seeing his friend's obvious enthusiasm, Victor forgot his reason for coming in the first place and became excited himself.

"What can I help with?" he volunteered.

Without looking up, the Boy Wonder shoved the plastic container of white pins at him. "Mark all of the affluent neighborhoods, luxury apartment complexes, and successful businesses," he ordered. The half-robot complied, and with his programming he had no trouble finding the places that Robin had listed. Within a few minutes, he was finished, and he helped the masked teen finish marking the orphanages, homeless shelters, and centers of gang activity in the city with more black pins. When they were done, Robin could see that his prediction was correct. The red pins prodigiously avoided the white, yet each one stood surrounded by a cluster of black pins.

Now that it was all laid out in front of them, Cyborg could instantly see the trend. "So we know that Slade's targeting the worst parts of the city," he stated. "But why?"

Robin frowned and furrowed his brow. His theory didn't extend that far yet; he had mainly been focused on highlighting the pattern he had suspected. "What do the slums have that Slade could be looking for?" he mused half to himself. He became lost in his thoughts as he considered. ' _...criminals, orphans, domestic violence..._ ' "I've got it!" he exclaimed, and Vic looked up again, startled but hopeful.

"Well?" he asked expectantly. "What is it?"

The acrobat hesitated, his initial excitement at his success waning and being replaced by a sinking feeling as he realized the grave import of the words he was about to utter:

"Slade's looking for a new apprentice"

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

The woman sat in the center of the cavern, eyes closed, her legs tucked beneath her, basking in the strong currents of life that swirled through the hollow in the mountain. She could sense the apprehension of the girl who stood before her as clearly as she could discern her presence. The child had been waiting, silently, for quite some time, but experience had taught her to be patient, that the lady would address her when the time was right. Now, as the full moon crested the tops of the trees in the east, the woman called Amaranth finally deigned to speak.

"So," she said simply, the word filling and resonating throughout the high-ceilinged chamber. "It is time."

The girl nodded, not so much in affirmation as in acknowledgement of the fact, and the woman could almost _feel_ the small motion through the channels of immense vitality that flowed between them. At last, she opened her eyes and took in the appearance of her student.

She had grown in many ways since her arrival at Haven Mount three years prior: in stature, in strength, in maturity. Her form had filled out with graceful curves and toned muscle. Loose, chocolate-colored curls reached to the middle of her back, framing a fair, contoured face. Rosebud pink lips rested beneath a straight nose. On either side of it, finely arched eyebrows hung over eyes that were a crystalline blue, eyes that seemed to reflect so much of their owner, as well as the world around them. Beneath the surface, the lady knew there resided one who had learned how to develop her capabilities, who possessed the key to unlocking her own future. In all respects, she had truly become a young woman.

The woman did not fail to notice the traveling attire the girl wore, nor the large satchel slung over her shoulder. She rose to her feet with quiet dignity and grace, and softly commanded, "Come with me," turning towards the shadowed rear of the cavern and knowing that the girl followed close behind her. When she reached the darkened area, she took a piece of wood with its end dipped in pitch from a holder attached to the rock. She cupped her hand beside the top, drawing a tight swirl of life-current around it, and the torch sparked into flame. The light ripped the darkness apart, revealing a recess in the wall with a stairway leading higher and deeper into the mountain. They ascended the staircase together, the torch dispelling the shadows as they continued to climb.

At last, they came to the top of the passageway, which opened into a cavern much like the one they had just left, save that this one had a cleft in the ceiling that ran from directly above where they stood to the opposite end of the room, disclosing a jagged strip of the night sky. Their torch was used to light six braziers dispersed throughout the area, which in turn illuminated a hollow stone circle about eight feet in diameter, covered with engraved patterns and raised two inches from the wall, its bottom level with the floor and its top six feet below the far end of the crack, carved straight from the surface of the rock.

From behind one of the braziers, the lady retrieved a clay pitcher and a stone knife, the latter of which she handed to the young woman. The girl raised her hand and pricked the pad of her thumb with the point of the knife. The wound closed almost instantly, allowing only a single drop of blood to fall into the mouth of the earthenware vessel and mix with its fragrant contents. The child then replaced the blade on the floor where it had been before.

The woman approached the stone ring and began to pour the pitcher out over its base. The connected carvings served as channels for the liquid, which flowed up the grooves on either side in defiance of gravity. As the two trails met at the large whorl at the top of the structure, a shaft of silver light fell upon it. The moon had just risen past the end of the fissure above the entrance way. Immediately, the engravings began to glow, and a faintly luminescent layer that looked like some sort of fluid rolled from the inner edge of the disc and converged at its center. The image of a midnight cityscape appeared in it, fuzzy around the edges and gently rippling as though seen through water.

The lady produced a velvet drawstring pouch on a cord and hung it around the young girl's neck before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Take care," she admonished with a gentle smile.

"I will," the girl replied earnestly. Then, looking her mentor straight in the eye, she said, "Thank you, Amaranth."

The two embraced, then turned toward the portal. "Go," the woman commanded with another smile, and the girl obeyed, stepping through the gateway without hesitation —

— And stepped down onto a concrete rooftop as neatly as though she was descending the last step of a flight of stairs. She felt the soft rush of wind as the portal closed behind her, but she did not turn back to see it. Instead, she looked out over the maze of busy streets and still-lit buildings.

Gotham City. The place where she had said, and knew, she could never belong. The only place that she could truly call her _home_.

She grasped the pouch around her neck and emptied its contents into her upturned palm. Strings of gold spoiled over and between her fingers. She tugged on the chain in various places until the oval shaped locket lay in the center of her hand, the garnet nestled in its front glinting in the big-city glow.

For a long moment, she stood gazing at the object she hadn't seen in nearly three years. Shortly after each young person's arrival at Haven Mount, Lady Amaranth would require them to commit their most precious treasure to her keeping during the duration of their stay as a proof of their dedication to learning, or they would not be permitted to remain. The locket had clearly been that treasure. Aside from the material value of the metal and the gemstone, the piece was worth a great deal to her. The tiny object might hold the key to the mystery of her origins.

Her experience at Haven Mount had taught her how to unlock her future. Now, it was time to discover her past.

* * *

 _A/N: And there we have it! The first chapter of my first ever fanfic. A warning to those of you planning to keep reading this: updates will probably be many yet far between, so it will probably be a loooong time before this fic is finished. Hopefully someone will like it enough to stick with it. Also, kudos to anyone who can guess which of the books listed above the first OC's name comes from (it really is painfully obvious). Feel free to hazard any speculations about the other OC if you like, but I can already promise you: you're all WRONG! (heh-heh-heh-heh; hopefully I've piqued your interest enough that you'll keep reading). See you in another two, three, six months maybe? (I'll try not to take THAT long, I promise!) _


	2. Family Heirloom

_A/N:_ _Please forgive me if any information given regarding the antiques at the end of this chapter is inaccurate; I have tried to research to the best of my ability. Also, please forgive me for basically completely screwing up Rose Wilson's (and later Jason Todd's) original canon timeline; I am sure there are some of you who will be banging your heads in frustration in a few minutes, but I promise, it's all for the sake of the plot. So if _that _turns out terrible,_ THEN _you can bludgeon me with a pitchfork. Also, if you have any questions as to the timeline I_ am _working with, it's all explained in the_ Teen Titans GO! _comic based off of the TV show, episode #49: "Legacy". A lot of background that I use might actually be pulled from this comic series, in case you ever get confused. Also, congratulations to those of you who figured out that Amaranth's name was a reference to_ The Amaranth Enchantment _!_ _That really was way too easy, wasn't it? Don't worry, I promise this chapter's reference question will be a lot better!_ _Okay, that's enough A/N for probably several chapters. Storytime now._

 _Disclaimer: Or not quite storytime. I do not own 'Teen Titans' or any other DC characters appearing or mentioned in this chapter. Okay, NOW we're ready!_

* * *

 _'Slade's looking for a new apprentice.'_ The thought wouldn't leave Robin's mind. His friends had been skeptical of his theory at first, but he held firmly to it as the only reasoning for Slade's behavior that made sense.

"It explains why he's been tearing up these places," he had argued. "He's trying to draw these kids out into the open by interrupting their lives."

"But why only search the slums?" Cyborg had asked with a dubious expression on his face. "If he's looking for kids with skill or powers, wouldn't he want to cover all his bases?"

Robin had grimaced at the soundness of his own morbid logic. "My guess is that he's learned a few lessons after working with me and Terra - and Rose," he added, remembering the silver blonde daughter of the mercenary. "He knows not to waste his time with "good kids" anymore. He's figured out that it's pointless to try to force them into anything; he blackmailed me, manipulated Terra, spoon-fed the Ravager with his principles - and one by one we each turned on him. Why? Because deep down, even if it couldn't be seen sometimes, each one of us cared about what's right and good. So now he's going after kids that are vulnerable and don't care about whatever it is they're doing because they don't have anybody to care about them. And it's all too easy for those kinds of kids to believe that, with the kind of chance Slade's offering them, they have nothing to lose - and everything to gain."

There had been silence for a long moment after this unexpected speech. Raven had been the first to break the silence by voicing her agreement.

"Robin's right; it does make sense," she had said slowly, nodding her head as she considered. "Slade's no fool; he rarely makes a mistake, but when he does make them, he's sure to learn from them. And we've all seen what he's capable of. We should remain on alert." With this acquiescence from the sorceress, whom they all knew was the most sensible member of their team, the others had eventually been reconciled to the idea. They remained uneasy, however, knowing from painful experience that Robin's normally sound judgement had a tendency to become clouded whenever Slade was involved.

Now, as the Boy Wonder fastened his utility belt with a _click_ , he forced himself to put his musings on hold, knowing that any further distraction would make him late to their weekly group training session.

 **~#~#~**

As the acrobat entered the gym, he was greeted by the sounds of banging, crashing, small explosions, and exclamations of effort. Starfire and Beast Boy were racing one another through an obstacle course in pursuit of a moving target representing a villain, while Cyborg exercised his programming skills by manipulating the course's movable components electronically, taking note of each piece of equipment that, blasted by starbolts or smashed by a bear paw, would have to be replaced later in the week or could possibly be salvaged. Raven, meanwhile, levitated through the course bringing "injured civilian" mannequins to a safe zone some distance away from the action, using her powers to lift them and avoid stray missiles from the machinery and her teammates.

Victor was the first to notice the entrance of their leader. "Where you been, man?" he called out from his position in the elevated control module. "It's almost seven already! Even B was here early today!"

The masked teen vaulted over the low boundary surrounding the course and scooped up a "civilian", slinging it over his shoulders. "Honestly, I think that last statement ought to have been the most shocking one," he replied with a smirk. The green boar that had just broken through a wooden barrier gave an offended snort, narrowing its eyes as if to say, _'Totally not funny, dude.'_ However, judging by Kori's amused giggle, Vic's exclamation of " _ha!_ Good one, man," and the slightly twitching corners of Raven's lips, the rest of his teammates believed otherwise.

It wasn't long before all the "civilians" had been rescued and the "villain" was left with a charred, sizzling hole in its center. The team then moved on to solo exercises, each working to strengthen and define their own unique abilities. Star blasted targets to increase the frequency of her starbolts. Cyborg practiced defending the tower's mainframe from a simulated hacker. Garfield shifted through a diverse variety of his forms as quickly as he could without stopping. Raven hovered in lotus position as her magic ballooned around her, trying to expand the bubble as far as she could hold on to her powers. Robin paced through martial arts forms with a sword, paying careful attention to his balance and posture. In his most recent training sessions with Bushido in the Far East, he had found himself to severely lacking in the swordsmanship department. He was glad for it though; it gave him an area of training to work on that actually required his focus and discipline as he learned, something very rare now that most techniques were already second nature to him and he could have performed them while sleepwalking.

As they wrapped up the session, storing equipment and clearing away trash, it suddenly hit him how much they had all changed since the last time they had faced Slade. It was most evident in Raven, with her longer, darker hair, her skin tone having mellowed from an ashen almost-grey to a milky alabaster. She as well as Starfire had gained a more womanly form, and undergone some costume changes. Raven now wore a mini-skirt similar to Star's over her leotard, while the alien girl's top had lengthened to completely cover her rib cage, though just barely, still leaving a considerable amount of skin visible. The sorceress was not nearly as willowy as Koriand'r, however, who had reached a height just a few inches short of Cyborg's. The half-robot had made upgrades to his mechanics over the years, and though his human parts appeared to have undergone little development, the teen detective observed a sharpness in his features that had not been present two years before. It gave Vic an increased air of maturity, though he was still apt to revert to a childlike goofiness at times, especially where Garfield was involved. The green teen's frame had filled out from months of hard, no-powers-allowed training under Robin, though his build was still slim. A delayed growth spurt the previous year had given him a stature close to that of his leader's, rather impressive considering that Robin was now nearly as tall as his former mentor. His own form had filled out in good proportion to his height, and he and Beast Boy were both shaving now. Sometimes, though, it was an irritating thing to have to remember to do in the morning, and he would occasionally think to himself that Cyborg was lucky, most of his follicles having been deactivated by the radiation from his accident. Though he wasn't sure that he'd like to be completely bald either.

 **~#~#~**

Some things never changed, however. Upon entering the common room and kitchen the traditional Meat Vs. Soy Debate ensued with full force.

" _Duuude!_ " Beast Boy squealed in exaggerated horror, his voice cracking like a middle schooler's. He didn't seem to notice though as he continued, "How can you just devour that poor, little, innocent piggy like that? It's - it's - it's _incomprehensible!_ "

"What _I_ find 'incomprehensible'," Raven interjected over the rim of her mug of tea, "is that you can comprehend a word like 'incomprehensible', and yet still feel the irresistible urge to begin every other sentence with 'duuuuude'."

Even Robin had to laugh along with Starfire at their friend's perfectly deadpan imitation of Garfield's catchphrase. The shapeshifter was about to retort, offended even though he wasn't entirely sure of everything she had just said. Before he could, Cyborg began with, "What's _really_ incomprehensible is that you eat all of your tofu disguised as other food. If you're vegetarian, why do you hafta make your vegetables _look_ like _meat_? At least _my_ eggs are _real_ eggs."

"Oh, don't even get me started on the eggs!" Gar interrupted. "Don't you know that every one of those eggs on your plate represents what would've been a cute, fluffy chick that now won't ever have a chance at life?"

"Actually," Robin broke in, "chickens routinely lay unfertilized eggs without a rooster present. Any eggs you buy at the grocery store were never going to hatch in the first place."

"Shut up," the green teen growled defensively through everyone else's laughter. "Who's side are you guys on, anyways?" he demanded.

"The side of scientific accuracy," Robin told him smugly before taking a sip of his coffee.

"The side of peace and _QUIET_ ," declared Raven, setting down her teacup with a deathly glare. The two offending parties both instantly became very interested in their own plates, though Star was still giggling, and a fixed smirk remained upon the acrobat's face.

". . . So how _do_ you know about chickens?" Beast Boy asked Robin once he had deemed it safe to speak again. "Didn't you grow up in a big city?"

"I did," the Boy Wonder confirmed. "But I had a friend whose mom lived on a farm as a kid."

Victor looked as if he were about to ask another question, when the crime alert went off.

"Trouble," Robin barked instinctively as he flipped open his communicator to see which villain they were facing this time. Then his face darkened menacingly. " _Slade_ ,"he hissed, and the others tensed at the sound of the name they were all dreading to hear. Their leader leaped out of his chair and ran for the door, his teammates following on his heels.

"Titans, _GO!_ "

 **~#~#~**

The battle was short, but fierce; the fear of someone else ending up like Robin, like Ravager, like _Terra_ , kindling the righteous fury in all of them. Starbolts, sonic blasts, dark energy, and birdarangs ripped through the air with a roaring emerald blur weaving between them, leaving a trail of black and orange robot parts in their wake.

A shockwave of sound threw the last bot down to the pavement, and Robin placed a steel-tipped boot in the center of its battered chestplate.

"Don't think you can win this, _Slade_ ," he snarled to the mike he knew was hidden somewhere on the droid. "We will _never_ let you make another misinformed kid into your _apprentice_."

There was a hiss of steam as some concealed hydraulic mechanism activated, opening the bot's faceplates to reveal a video screen.

" _A very passionate assertion, Robin_ ," the darkened silhouette of Slade coolly replied, not a trace of concern present in the tone of his voice, pacing slowly before his side of the camera. " _However,_ " he continued leisurely, " _I believe there's just one question you Titans ought to be asking yourselves right now_." The mercenary turned so that he now seemed to be directly facing the seething young hero before continuing, " _You know_ what _it is that I am after, and_ how _I am aiming to get it - but just how are you going to stop me?_ "

His image disappeared, and the Boy Wonder was too stunned by the realization his words had brought to move, or to register the significance of the large numbers currently flashing across the screen:

 _ **3** . . . _

_**2** . . . _

" _Robin!_ " he heard Starfire scream from behind him, jolting him from his reverie as she proceeded to grab his arms and lift him with superhuman strength and speed two stories off the ground. Just as he saw the number ' ** _1_** ' vanish from the screen, the robot was wrapped in an orb of Raven's power, containing the explosion. The sorceress dropped the pile of smoking metal and melted rubber onto the pavement as Star gently lowered him down to the sidewalk.

"You are undamaged?" she asked him, as soon as his feet were touching the cement, concern flashing in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He gave her a brief smile as he spoke, but his mind was fixated on what Slade had said to him. It soon became clear that he wasn't the only one.

"You know, guys," Beast Boy began slowly, "I hate to be the one to say this, but . . . Slade is right." Seeing two mildly confused expressions and one quirked purple eyebrow, he continued, "We can't stop Slade from sending out more robots. And we can't really keep people from trying to defend themselves against them. Eventually, _someone_ specific is going to catch his eye. So how are we supposed to stop him from finding a new kid to be his apprentice?"

There was a grim silence as this realization sank in. Then the teens started at the sound of a strong, "No." They turned to see Starfire shaking her head with a look of fixed determination on her face. "There is still one thing we can do," she insisted, fixing her gaze on each of them in turn. "We can reach these children first, and teach them that Slade is not to be trusted. Keep them from being the 'misinformed' as Robin said, and help them to see where the danger lies."

As she spoke, Cyborg and Beast Boy began to become excited at this new prospect, while Raven seemed ponderous. Robin, for his own part, was doubtful. Could they really protect every child that got Slade's attention just by warning them about him?

His thoughts were interrupted by a crashing noise on the other side of the street. "Uh-oh," said Cyborg as they all turned to see what was happening. "Looks like we didn't get rid of all of them." Sure enough, the teens all caught sight of one last Slade-bot moving in an alleyway, and were surprised to hear a very human yell coming from the same area.

"Sounds like someone needs our help," Robin announced, taking out his bo staff and beginning to head over. The others signaled their agreement by following, various attacks at the ready, with Beast Boy in wolf form. However, they were shocked to find that the young man trapped in the alley was not in danger of his life. On the contrary, he seemed to be doing quite well for being backed into a dead end. He had just grabbed a lid off of one of the nearby trashcans and proceeded to fling it at the droid's head like a frisbee, causing it to reel off balance long enough for the youth to run past it towards the mouth of the alley before spinning around to face it once more. This put him in a much better position, as it was now the robot that was cornered. Unfortunately, he no longer had anything that might serve as a weapon within his reach. Seeing this, Raven quickly chanted, "Azarath...metrion... _zinthos!_ " encasing the bot in shadow energy before crushing it beyond hope of further functionality.

The danger passed, the kid doubled over, placing his hands on the knees of his ripped jeans. "Yeesh," he panted. "Where did that thing come from?"

"It was sent by a most dangerous villain named Slade," Starfire answered, and the boy turned to see who was speaking, eyes widening when he registered that he had just been addressed by a member of the city's local team of superheroes.

"You guys are the Teen Titans, right?" he asked, and when they all nodded and answered in the affirmative, he could do nothing but simply continue staring open-mouthed at them, before he finally managed to breathe out " _Whoa_."

Robin stepped forward. "That was a pretty impressive display you just gave," he said.

The compliment snapped the stranger out of his haze, and he shrugged it off, replying, "When you live in an orphanage like the one I do, you learn to defend yourself."

This piqued the interest of the teen heroes. "Orphanage?" Raven questioned, her head cocked to one side.

The boy nodded. "Since I was two," he responded. "They barely supervise us. Don't even do a head count at night. If we all just disappeared one day, they'd probably be glad that they didn't have to come to work anymore."

The expressions of the Titans softened in sympathy. "That must be rough," Cyborg said.

The kid gave another shrug. "I'm pretty much used to it." Then he frowned as he remembered something. "But what were you saying about that Slade guy?"

Star spoke up again, explaining, "We know little about him other than what we have seen ourselves: that his strength and skill are great. He remains hidden behind a mask and rarely comes into the public view. But what we have managed to gather about him is not pleasant."

Raven continued, "We've done a lot of research about him, and we have reason to believe that he is connected in some way to the infamous mercenary assassin, Deathstroke, of whom practically nothing has been heard for quite a few years." Sensing the confusion of the young man, she added, "That means that he signed contracts to kill people for a living. One could make a good case for the two men potentially being the same person, since the few images of Deathstroke in existence show him wearing an outfit much like that of Slade, especially in one particular aspect."

"What 'aspect'?" the boy asked hesitantly, clearly more than a little unnerved by the description up to this point.

"The mask," Cyborg answered grimly. "Made out of metal and completely covers his face. On the left side of his face, it's orange. On the other side, it's completely black - and there's no eye hole."

The kid, who now looked about ready to jump out of his skin after hearing this latest piece of information, inquired, "So he's a powerful one-eyed bounty hunter?"

"Basically," Beast Boy confirmed. "At least, he used to be. From our experiences with him, he seems to be done taking contracts and more interested in his own personal goals."

"The greatest of which being to provide a legacy for himself in the form of an apprentice," Robin finished, the words resounding all too painfully within him.

"Wait a minute," the boy said, looking right at Robin, as things he'd heard in the past came to mind. "I remember something from a couple years ago about some villain and apprentices. Didn't that involve you and - that other hero girl - Terra, right?"

"Yes, that's right," the acrobat replied, struggling to maintain composure. "Slade used various means of coercion and manipulation to get me to become his apprentice, including threatening to destroy my friends while I watched. With Terra, he took advantage of her fears of rejection and losing control to make her believe that he was helping her, and she fell under his power to the point that she was willing to betray her own friends."

" _Dang_ ," the kid whispered, wide-eyed, registering that this "Slade" was not a person to be taken lightly. Seeing that his leader was in no state to continue speaking, Cyborg took over.

"We think that he might be sending these robots out in order to search for someone else to be his apprentice, so make sure you be careful when you're outside or alone," he warned.

"I will, definitely," the young stranger replied, his expression clearly showing the horror he felt at such an idea. He got a grip on himself, though, enough to smile as he said, "Well, I should probably get going. I still have homework that needs doing." As he started walking out of the alley, Beast Boy suddenly perked up.

"Wait!" the green changeling called out after him. "We never got your name!"

The teen turned around, startled but pleased that Jump City's heroes would want to know who he was. "It's Bradyn," he called back before truly heading on his way.

The Titans were all left looking at one another anxiously in the otherwise abandoned alley. "D'you think it worked?" Cyborg asked, excited but obviously concerned at the same time.

"I got a pretty good read on him as he was listening," Raven answered, "and I'd say I'm pretty sure it did."

"What are you guys talking about?" Robin questioned, utterly baffled as to what his teammates could possibly be discussing.

"Dude!" Beast Boy cried, looking at Robin as if he had lost his mind. "Don't you remember what Starfire was saying earlier about what we can still do?"

"What about what Star - ?" he began to ask, then cut himself off as the lightbulb went off and he realized what the shapeshifter was referring to. "Oh..." _'Her idea about talking to them first...'_ A smile began to spread across his face as he considered their seeming success with Bradyn. _'This could really work!'_ he thought to himself. "I think you're right, it does look like it worked," he said to the rest of the team, and a joyous triumph rose within him as he considered that they just might have a chance at foiling Slade's latest plan. Then he began to walk back to where their vehicles were waiting on the other side of the street. "Come on, guys, it's time we started to head home ourselves."

 **~#~#~**

The sky was on fire with gorgeous streaks of coral and lavender. Starfire couldn't help but sigh dreamily at the beauty of the sunset she was witnessing as she sat with her feet dangling off the roof of the tower. The moment was made perfect by the fact that her boyfriend was watching alongside her with his arm wrapped around her waist. The two had decided to take a moment to themselves after dinner to recuperate from the craziness of their day. After Slade's attack, Mumbo Jumbo had taken it upon himself to turn half of the local police force into chickens, and the resulting mad chase throughout downtown had taken up most of the Titans' afternoon, involving surprises, frustration, feathers, sneezing, and literally _tons_ of confetti. They were too exhausted afterwards to put any more effort into dinner than ordering takeout from their favorite pizzeria before returning to the tower. Raven in particular was especially grumpy, having had to deal with her allergies for a good hour after things had been settled. Thankfully, it seemed that they would have the rest of the evening to themselves, which Robin was definitely glad about. He had been beginning to feel guilty about not spending enough time with his girlfriend lately, and this was the perfect opportunity to begin to remedy that. Speaking of spending time together...

"Kori?" he asked shyly, and she turned her head slightly to face him. "This Friday...would you maybe like to go out with me, just the two of us?"

"You mean...on a date?" she questioned, her cheeks beginning to redden. "Similar to the occasions when we have gone to the theater of movies and the parlor of pizzas together?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, it would be a date, but I was thinking that we could do something more...formal, this time."

"Such as?" she inquired, cocking her head to one side in curiosity.

"Well," he began, watching his gloved finger as it traced circles on the back of her hand, "I could take you out to a nice restaurant, and we could have dinner together. As civilians, so we wouldn't get mobbed by the press and all of our 'adoring fans' like we normally do."

The sound of her adorably sweet giggle filled the air around them. "I would like that very much, Richard," she whispered she leaned in closer, brushing her lips against his cheek before pulling back with a teasing smirk.

"Then it's settled," he declared happily as the last rays of sunlight dipped below the surface of the sea.

Kori noticed this, as well as the the fact that darkness was closing in quickly. "I think it is time for us to go back inside." They stood and walked to the roof access hand in hand, Robin ensuring that he secured his mask firmly back on his face before entering the interior of the tower.

 **~#~#~**

As he entered the common room in search of something to drink before bed, having walked Starfire to her room beforehand, he found Cyborg and Beast Boy lounging on the couch together.

"Hey, Rob," the shapeshifter greeted him. "Me and Cy were talking, and we thought that we should all do that group thing you were talking about by visiting the museum's new sculpture gallery, since Raven will actually come with us. Official opening is on Friday evening. What do you think?"

The masked hero took a sip from his glass of water before replying, "Sounds like a good idea to me, but I think Star and I will have to pass up on opening night. We're planning on going out to dinner that evening."

A sly grin appeared Victor's face. "We-ell," he drawled slowly. "This sounds a bit more serious than other dates you've gone on with Star. Sure you don't need any help getting ready?"

"Yeah!" Gar was quick to agree. "We could help you with your outfit and stuff!"

Robin narrowed his masked eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes, thank you very much. Not that I'd trust _your_ fashion sense anyways." As the green teen pretended to give an offended pout, he tapped his glass in consideration before adding, "Although, there is one thing I would like your help with."

The other two perked up in interest. "Just name it," Vic told him.

"Well, I've already figured out which restaurant I want to take her to. You know that Italian place on the east side of town?" he asked, and his friends nodded. "But I'm trying to see if there's a good place I can take her to for dessert. Something better than just going to an ice cream parlor. Do you two have any ideas?"

There was a moment of ponderous silence. Then: "I think I know just the place." The other two turned to Beast Boy, who seemed surprisingly despondent considering how chipper he had been a moment before.

"What is it?" Robin asked curiously.

"There's this little diner about a mile southwest of the old fairgrounds," he explained. "It's a bit out of the way, but they make really good apple pie." He managed to muster a smile as he spoke, but it was weak, and Robin could hear the tinge of sadness and pain that echoed in his voice.

"That actually sounds like a great idea," he said. "Thanks for the suggestion, Beast Boy."

"How do you even know about this place, anyway?" Cyborg questioned. The green teen's ears drooped in response as he wrapped his arms protectively around himself.

It suddenly clicked in Robin's mind. "That's where you went on your date with Terra, isn't it?"

Gar nodded sadly, his ears drooping lower at the recollection of the night when his crush's betrayal was first revealed.

"Dang," Cyborg muttered solemnly as he realized what his friend must have been going through at that moment, feeling guilty about how insensitive he must have seemed. "I'm sorry, B."

"You didn't have to share it with us," Robin added.

Garfield shook his head in response, shaking himself out of his despondency in the process. "You don't have to apologize," he insisted. "It's not your fault. And like I said, this place makes really good pie. It would be a waste not pass the secret on to somebody else." Saying this, he mostly resumed his usual cheerful self, though something in his eyes still hinted at the sorrow he was hiding.

Robin caught sight of this, but decided to let the matter rest for the time being. Instead he said, "Thanks for your help, though, really. It sounds like Star will love it."

"No prob, Rob," the changeling replied good-naturedly, no longer betraying any trace of sadness. "You heading to bed now?"

"I think so," he agreed, setting his now empty glass in the sink. "It's been a long day. 'Night, guys."

"G'night," the other two called almost in sync as Robin left to head back to his room. He was right, it had been a very long day, and all of the Titans would certainly sleep well that night.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

The elderly man was poring over paperwork when he heard the old-fashioned door bell ring, signaling the rare occurrence of a visitor in his shop. "I'll be with you in just a minute," he called out, slowly making his way to his feet. It had been quite a few weeks since he'd last had a customer in the little antique store, and he was curious to see who could be here now.

He was rather surprised to see a lovely young woman, no more than a teenager, standing in the middle of the shop floor, wearing a raincoat and carrying a dripping umbrella hooked over her arm. He had been half-expecting to find a stuffy collector with spectacles and a thin, drooping mustache, and here was a girl something like a nymph or a fairy. She seemed to him to be a bit nervous, so he gave her a warm smile as he asked, "How may I help you?"

She approached the counter hesitantly, and he noticed then that she was holding a small velvet drawstring bag in her hand. As she emptied its contents onto the plush tray on the counter she asked, "I was wondering if you might be able to tell me anything about this locket?"

"Well, let's see..." he muttered as he hunched forward over the piece, pulling his magnifier from his apron pocket to give himself a better look, and not failing to notice that the chain was missing. "It was certainly designed in a Victorian style," he muttered as he turned it slightly between his fingers, "but judging by the condition of the metal, and the design of certain practical features, I would guess it was made no more than sixty years ago. Certainly would be worth a decent amount to any collector. Do you have the chain with you?"

She fished it out of the bottom of the bag with her fingers. "The clasp broke not too long ago," she informed him.

He took it from her and began to study it as well. "The quality of the chain leads me to believe that it was replaced at some time, though when exactly I couldn't tell you." He then proceeded to very carefully open the locket, revealing a photograph of a smiling young woman with dark, curly hair and sparkling green eyes, features similar to those of his visitor, though her eyes were a vibrant blue. "Where did you get a hold of this? I would have thought it to be some kind of family heirloom, except that you don't seem to know much about it if you've brought it here."

The girl fiddled with the handle of her umbrella nervously. "Well, you see, sir, I was a foundling, and the locket was found along with me. It's the only physical link that I have to my birth family. I'd always expected it to be some sort of inherited possession, but I was never sure. You really think that could be true?"

"Well, contrasting the age of the piece with the amount of wear that it has received, it seems that it has been very well cared for over the years, which makes it very likely." He took another look at the picture of the young lady. "I can certainly see a strong resemblance between you and the woman in this photograph." He began to examine it more closely. "From the age of the paper, it seems to be about twenty five years old, and the lady herself appears to be about twenty."

She drew closer, her gaze fixed upon the photo. "So she could have been my mother," she breathed, mostly to herself, as though in a stupor. She roused herself quickly, however, looking the older man in the eye as she said, "Thank you so much for your help. What do I owe you?"

He waved off the implication with a smile. "You don't owe me anything. Free consultations here at my clinic, miss. And if you're wanting to fix that chain," he added, "I would recommend you to Montescue's Jewelers on Main Street. They do excellent work at very reasonable prices."

"I'll take a look," she assured him as she replaced the locket and chain in the bag. The kindly shop owner followed her towards the door, and just as she opened it she turned back. "Thank you again," she said with a grateful smile.

"Anytime," he replied, and saw her off with a wave as she put up her umbrella and headed back out into the rain. He remained there at the shop window for a long time, watching her go, staring in the direction she had gone even after she had disappeared from sight. There was something about her unusual maturity that attracted his sympathies, which, even after much pondering, he was unsure what exactly it was.

Even as he was thinking this, he could here the voice of his late wife scolding him in his mind, shaking her head and clucking her tongue as she did so: "Nonsense, Earnest, you know exactly what it was that you noticed about that girl; you saw the pain behind her eyes. The poor child's certainly had more than her share of suffering for someone so young, and it's aged her in manner beyond her years. She has an old soul, that one." He knew that she was right, and he could not help but chuckle at himself for his imagination, influenced by the remembrances of old, in having her image be the one to correct himself. Yet, although the mystery had been resolved to himself, he continued to stand there at the window for many more minutes, gazing down the street as the rain fell steadily against the glass.

* * *

 _A/N: Here we are! The end of Chapter Two! But who is this mysterious young woman who haunts rooftops and antique shops and carries valuable jewelry? Feel free to post your guess in a review and wait to see if you're right! This chapter's reference question is: which book from the list in Ch. 1's A/N does the name of the jeweler "Montescue's" come from? This one's less obvious, so more glory to you if you get it right! See you hopefully-pretty-soon!_


	3. Family Records

_A/N: Aaand we're back! Well done those of you who figured out that "Montescue's" was a reference to_ The Amaranth Enchantment _! Again. Unfortunately, I don't have a "reference question" for this chapter, strictly speaking, but if you pay attention (and have comics background knowledge!), you might catch a hint about the identity of our mysterious OC friend! So you better keep your eyes peeled..._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own 'Teen Titans' or any other DC characters._

* * *

"Here, let me fix that for you." Raven reached up and secured some of Starfire's vibrant locks with a large daisy ornament in a half-up style, pulling it out of the way of her face as Star worked on applying her own lip gloss.

"Thank you, friend Raven, for assisting me to prepare for tonight," she said, very glad that she had someone helping her. She was nervous that she wouldn't be able to get everything perfect for this date.

"Don't mention it," Raven replied, "and for Azar's sake, stop worrying so much. You know that Robin likes you regardless of your appearance. Everything will go fine."

Star sighed guiltily. "I _do_ know this to be case, but I cannot help being the anxious. This is the first time boyfriend Robin and I have done something of this particular nature. I am unsure what to expect."

"Expect his jaw to drop when you come out, because you look _amazing_ ," the empath encouraged. It did the trick, because upon hearing it Kori smiled and gave a small nod before rising and heading out of her room with Raven following close behind. The alien paused for a moment before the common room door, taking a deep breath to steady herself before entering.

 **~#~#~**

For the past few minutes, Robin had been sitting on a kitchen stool facing away from the counter with his mask still on, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt cuffs and waiting for his girlfriend to make her appearance. Beast Boy and Cyborg were having a debate about which video game they wanted to play when the main doors slid open, revealing the alien beauty standing at the top of the steps. She was wearing a sleeveless, knee-length dress of a light, flowing material that was cut in several rippling layers. The pastel aquamarine fabric worked with the white flower clip to perfectly complement her golden skin tone and fiery hair. Raven's prediction proved to be correct: Robin's jaw hit the floor when he saw her. He quickly collected himself, however, and approached her to offer her his arm. She took it, as the other boys gave the couple approving smiles and an "alright!".

"Now you two have fun, y'hear?" Cyborg ordered in mock sternness.

"We will," Robin assured him.

"And don't worry about things here," Raven added. "If anything comes up while you're gone we'll be able to handle it. Just focus on enjoying yourselves."

"We shall certainly do the trying," Starfire said, giving Robin a significant look.

He laughed in defeat. "Okay, okay, I promise not to worry too much about any crimes that happen while we're out. But you know I'm not good at that," he added, earning a few laughs from his teammates.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know that you're way too obsessive and dutiful," Beast Boy said. "Now get out of here already!" He and Cy began to make shooing gestures at the two with their hands, and Raven moved aside, giving them a clear path to the elevator. "Farewell, friends!" Star called cheerfully as she walked out on Robin's arm.

Once they reached the garage, Robin activated the cloaking on his motorcycle to turn it a stereotypical black. He handed Kori a helmet before grabbing his own. Before he put it on, the Tamaranean reached up, took hold of the corner of his mask, and pulled it away from his face, revealing his vibrant blue eyes and fully turning him into Richard Grayson for the evening.

In a few minutes, they were speeding through the exit of the island's secret access tunnel, Kori's arms wrapped tightly around Richard's waist. Together they flew off into the night in pursuit of a good time.

 **~#~#~**

Richard pulled out the weathered chair for Koriand'r before taking his own seat across from her at the table for two set near the back of the quaint diner. They'd enjoyed a terrific dinner of pasta and bread sticks before making their way out to the little establishment that Beast Boy had recommended to Robin. It wasn't too busy, which he was grateful for, as there was less chance of them being recognized, and they would be able to hear each other as they conversed.

A middle-aged waitress came over to their table. "What can I get for you darlings?"

"Two slices of your world-famous apple pie with ice cream, please," Richard requested.

"Well," the woman chuckled modestly, "we're not quite _that_ famous yet."

"The friend who recommended us here seems to be under the impression that you should be," he returned with a playful smile.

"Well, I don't know 'bout that," she huffed, though they could both tell that she was secretly pleased. "Is that all for you two?"

"That's all," he confirmed.

"Coming right up then," she assured them before turning back towards the kitchen.

The two teens then turned to each other, glad to finally be effectively alone with one another. Kori initiated the conversation: "The friend who did the recommending of this place to you, was that not friend Be-Garfield?"

Richard nodded. "He and Terra went here on their date together," he confided in a low tone.

Kori's eyes softened in sympathy for their friend. "The remembrance of this place must have been very painful for him, then."

"It definitely was," Richard agreed. "He managed to hide it pretty well after a while, though." He tipped his head in consideration. "I'm starting to wonder if he's really okay. There's a lot of things that he tries to keep inside, and I'm not sure that it's good for him."

"He reminds me greatly of another young man I know," Kori said gently, wearing a pointed smile.

He sighed in admission. "I know, I'm just as bad. Worse really."

"You are right that it is not good to always keep such things hidden," she admonished. "You know that you are not alone; we are all willing to listen to whatever you have to tell."

"I do realize that, and there's so much that I want to tell you all" he said. "But in a lot things, I don't really have a choice. I still have obligations to the Batclan. There's so much sensitive information that involves the identities and privacy of others. Many of my secrets aren't just mine to share."

"I can understand," Kori replied sympathetically. "As royalty, it was necessary for my siblings and me to place duty above personal desire. As children, my mother would often remind us -" She paused and furrowed her brow as she attempted to recall the precise words before quoting, "'We do not do what we want; we do what we must.'"

"That is very true," Richard agreed softly. Just then, the waitress returned with their pie, for which they paused their conversation, offering their thanks to the woman before each taking a bite.

"Delicious," Kori said. "Friend Garfield was certainly correct.

"Definitely," Richard agreed, but at the earlier mention of the Batclan, his thoughts had wandered to another related topic, one that cast a shadow of pain and hesitancy over his features. Kori did not fail to notice this, having over time become much more adept at interpreting the various expressions of Earth-boys, even without the help of Raven as her manual.

"Is something troubling you, Rich?" she asked, a tiny frown creasing her forehead. He couldn't stop the warmth that began to spread through him in response to her pet name for him. She was the first person to ever address him as "Rich", and while he had found it a bit strange at first, it was becoming increasingly more endearing to him, and he certainly found it preferable to being called "Dick".

"Well," he began hesitantly, "I think I might actually need to go back to Gotham for a couple of days. For a - an anniversary."

She didn't fail to notice the hitch in his voice as he spoke. "I presume that this is not the anniversary of a happy occasion?" she probed gently.

He shook his head. "No, it's not. It's - well, it's a death anniversary, to be frank."

Her peridot eyes softened in sympathy. "Oh, Richard, I am sorry. How long has it been since...?"

He understood her delicate approach to the question. "Two years. I'd thought about going back last year, but...Batman and I had been - estranged, for a while by then, and I didn't want to chance meeting him while I was there."

Concern flickered in her eyes. "I can understand your desire to avoid the situation," she began hesitantly, "but would it not be better to perhaps resolve the conflict and end this tension? Surely someone who has been so much to you...is it wise to leave this breach as it is?"

Richard sighed; he had been expecting this response from her, and it wasn't at all unreasonable. "I know that it probably isn't good for our relationship to stay like this. But I don't really know where to start, and even if I did, I'm not used to being the one - reaching out, I guess. And after this much time, it's going to be hard."

Kori nodded in understanding, still worried for him, but, deciding that it would be best to forgo the matter for the moment and enjoy their time together, shifted topics slightly. "Do not worry about what happens while you are gone. If we are fortunate, we shall be able to handle a situation if it arises, and if not, we are always able to contact friends Ki-Wallace and Jillian to assist us. I am certain the others will understand the importance of this endeavor. Now, if I am not mistaken, there are some extremely delicious pieces of pie that deserve more of our attention."

"I have to agree with you there," Richard replied, a smile lighting his features once more as a dab of whipped cream ended up on the tip of his date's nose as she took a bite. She looked down at it, going cross-eyed.

"Oops," she giggled.

He smirked at her. "Here, let me help," he teased, leaning forward and wiping it off with his thumb. He could worry about Gotham and Bruce later. For now, he was spending the evening with his favorite alien princess, and he intended to enjoy himself while he did.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

The old woman straightened up from the box of files that she was sorting through, stretching her shoulders. She certainly wasn't as young and spry as she used to be, and her back was starting to act up. But these files needed to be computerized, and who else was going to do it if she didn't?

She heard a small noise behind her, and then the voice of a young woman tentatively calling out, "Mrs. Welch?" At the sound of her name she turned and gasped in delighted surprise. Even after ten years, she couldn't fail to recognize those bright blue eyes.

"Letitia Adeline!" she cried affectionately, moving forward to embrace the young brunette. "My dear, how are you?"

"Fine, thank you," the girl replied with a smile. "But I ought to ask, how are _you_ _?_ I was surprised to hear that you were still working here after all this time. Shouldn't you be thinking about retiring soon?"

"As a matter of fact, once all of this paperwork is sorted out, the Inner City Kids Center will be officially shut down, and I will be officially retired." Mrs. Welch informed her. "Turns out that transferring all of the children over to the Gotham Orphanage means that I'm no longer needed as secretary. Who would've guessed that the main orphanage in the city would already have its own administration? Jokes aside, however, it's a pity that the government's had to skimp on funding so much as to cause places like these to close down."

"It certainly is a shame," the girl agreed. "But I am glad to hear that you'll be taking a well-deserved rest from secretary work."

"Well, thank you, my dear!" the woman replied. "Now, what else might you be here for? I have a feeling that you didn't come back to a dirt hole like this just to say hello to an old crone."

"Why, you're hardly a crone, Mrs. Welch!" the girl protested in the same playful manner. "But I must admit, you've seen right through me. You wouldn't happen to still have my case file somewhere around here, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I've just finished transcribing all of the files in your box into the system. You're free to take it with you," the secretary said as she turned and began to rummage through the box. "Now let's see...Walter...Weston...Whitney...Winslow - no, too far...ah, here you are." She pulled a weathered manilla folder out of the box and handed it to the girl. "There you go, my dear."

"Thank you," the girl said. "And here -" she pulled a scrap of paper and a pencil from her pocket and scribbled a few digits on it before handing it to Mrs. Welch "- there's my cell phone number. If you ever need anything, just call me." She bit her lip in hesitation before continuing, "I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch with you before. I promise to remedy that in the future."

"Nonsense, my darling!" the older woman insisted. "Why, you were only six when you left this place; you were barely able to read, what with the terrible education system here; you could hardly have been expected to maintain correspondence with an old woman who didn't even own a computer! And this," she went on, gesturing to the slip of paper she had been given, "is far more than I could have asked for from you. Believe me, I am beyond grateful for your affection."

"Still, you were the most important figure in my life here. And I want to be able to repay you for that in my own small way. Besides, I've missed talking to you throughout the years."

"That's very sweet of you, dear," replied Mrs. Welch, touched by the child's display of loyalty and gratitude. "I must admit, of all the kids I've watched come through here, you've been one of the ones I've missed most after she was adopted." The two shared an affectionate embrace before the girl pulled away.

"It was good to see you again, but I'm afraid I have to go now," she said apologetically. "And I'm sure you still have plenty of paperwork to take care of before you can start your retirement."

The lady nodded. "Indeed I do." She escorted the teenager to the door of the office. "Now, take care of yourself, darling."

"I will," the girl assured her, turning back for a moment. "You ought to do the same."

"Of course," answered the elderly woman with a gracious smile. She fondly watched the girl make her way down the hallway before returning to her work.

* * *

 _A/N: And there we have it! So, I was writing this out, and about halfway through I realized, I_ do _have a reference question for you after all! Starfire tells Robin that her mother used to say, "We don't do what want; we do what we must." If anyone (besides ShiningHopeBeast) can tell me what book that quote comes from, I will be VERY impressed with you. Here are a couple of hints: 1) It's not on the list of inspirational sources at the beginning of Chapter One and 2) It came out just last year (2016) and is the first novel of a new series. Think you can figure it out?_

 _Also, we found out that Lil' Miss OC is known to an elderly orphanage secretary as 'Letitia Adeline' with a last name somewhere between 'Whitney' and 'Winslow' alphabetically, and was adopted at the age of six. Hmmm . . . who could she be? Feel free to post your guess in a review, as well as tell me what you think about this chapter! See you in the next chapter!_


	4. Death in the Family

_A/N: Yay! Made it to chapter four! Well done those of you who managed to figure out that Starfire's quote was based off of one from Cindy Pom's_ Serpentine _. Also, we've got two guesses on the identity of Miss OC. And they both think the same thing! Huh! As for whose death it is that Robin is heading to Gotham to remember, it looks like you're about to find out!_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans or who/whatever else from DC is appearing or mentioned in this chapter. Since you're probably not even reading this bit, let's get on with the story!_

* * *

Richard brought his motorcycle to a stop beside the fence surrounding the vast expanse of grounds that constituted Wayne Manor and its accompanying estate. While it might have been physically easier to pass through the front gates like the family member that he was, he wasn't sure that he was ready for it. While he knew that it was more than likely that he would encounter Bruce sometime during his visit, he was inwardly hoping that he would be able to get in and out of the garden unseen so that he could put off the messy business of trying to repair the rift in their relationship for as long as possible.

He slid the parcel he was carrying through the bars of the fence before easily vaulting himself over and picking it back up. If he remembered correctly, the place he was looking for was near a large, old willow tree somewhere towards the back of the property.

After traversing past flower beds and well-kept lines of hedges, he came to the spot that he had been seeking. He knelt down there, tracing the stone-carved letters with his ungloved fingertips. The name of the Robin who had died in his role as a hero. Who had been like a brother to him, and his best friend, until he had left his hometown and everything else associated with it, seeking his own fortune in a new city, amongst new people, fighting new villains, finding new friends. Never bothering to stay connected to what he had forsaken. This day two years ago was the first time he had ever truly regretted the last decision, and the remorse lasted even now.

But now he was here, and while it was too late to remedy what had already happened, he was determined not to continue making the same mistakes. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a hand trowel. He began to carefully dig in the soft earth. When he was satisfied with the little hole that he had created, he turned to the plant he had brought with him and gently pulled it out of its plastic pot, the moist dirt still compacted around its roots. Placing it in the hole, he packed it in carefully, making sure that it wouldn't tip over. He then took a water bottle from his pocket and proceeded to gradually empty it around the base of the woody stem. At last, satisfied with the results of his labor, his sat back on his heels to fully observe it.

It wasn't much, just a red and white tea rose plant; hardly an appropriate gift to the memory of his adopted brother, but it was the best that he could procure in such a short time. Yet, even if flowers didn't quite suit the nature of the rambunctious and somewhat rebellious boy, there was still something fitting in the natural beauty shielded by thorns, bearing the colors of courage and loyalty.

He started at the sound of footsteps approaching through the grass, rising as he turned to find a sight that he had been half expecting and half dreading: his adoptive father entering the sheltered corner of the garden. He wasn't alone, however, Alfred and Barbara appeared close behind him, walking side by side. The shock of the pair upon seeing him quickly melted into happiness. "Dick!" Babs cried affectionately, running forward to embrace him. "It's been forever!"

"I know," he replied, wearing a smile, but unable to completely mask the strain in his voice as he continued to observe his former mentor. A brief flash of surprise had flashed across Bruce's face before being replaced by a troubled expression of - concern? remorse? guilt? embarrassment? Even with his skills at reading other people, the Boy Wonder was having difficulty deciphering the clues he was receiving.

"Well, perhaps not forever," Alfred was saying in amendment to his niece's statement. "But it certainly has been a long while. May I ask what brings you back to us after all this time?"

"Well, I'm sure you've already guessed," replied Dick, gesturing towards the granite headstone. "I came out to pay my respects, and you all happened to be out here at the same time."

"What! You mean you weren't planning on coming in to see us?" Babs teased, pretending to be offended.

 _Uh oh._ This was where things were about to get hairy. "Well, I wasn't sure how long I would be able to get away from Jump, so I didn't plan on it." It was true, but the looks on all of their faces told him that they knew it wasn't the real reason. All of a sudden, the deeper implications of Barbara's joke brought about an incredibly tense silence. The four stood there, Babs glancing awkwardly between the rest, Alfred wearing an expression of concern, the other two waiting stiffly.

"Let's not play this charade," Bruce finally said after what seemed like an eternity. "I think we all know that Dick was wanting to avoid me. I can't blame him for it. We've been at odds with one another for a long time now."

Richard was shocked at the declaration. His former mentor was never this open concerning conflicts, especially when other people were present. Then it suddenly clicked. Bruce must not have wanted to ruin Alfred and Barbara's reunion with him by making everyone pretend there wasn't a problem between them. He was doing this for _them_.

He was still speaking: "Alfred, would you and Barbara mind giving us a moment in private?"

"Not at all," the older man replied immediately. "Dinner needs preparation anyways. Come, my dear." He placed a hand on his niece's arm, and the two walked out of the clearing together, towards the manor, leaving Richard in the situation he had wished so desperately to avoid: alone with Bruce. But it also left him doubting the accuracy of his first presupposition. After all, if he wanted to talk privately, it must mean that he truly wanted to address the tension between them...

His certainty fluctuated once more when Bruce asked, "So, how's the rest of your team doing?"

Richard was definitely confused now. Was Bruce losing his nerve? "They're...doing well, I guess."

"That's good to hear," the older hero replied, glancing up at some trees a little ways off. "You all are very close friends by now, I should think."

"Like family." The words simply slipped out of his mouth, but as soon as they did, he wished they hadn't. It certainly wasn't the best thing he could have said considering the current situation.

It didn't have the expected affect at all, however. "That's - good," Bruce replied haltingly. His tone seemed genuine, however, as he continued, "It's nice to know that you're not on your own."

By this point his thoughts were so completely confused that he didn't even attempt to respond. But the questions that he didn't even know he wanted to ask were soon answered.

"Look, Dick," the older man finally said, releasing a sigh. "When you first left, I thought it just a - a phase. That you needed to let off some steam and that once you had, you would come home. In the meantime, I could manage with just Batgirl. Almost two months passed that way, but I wouldn't allow myself to be convinced otherwise."

All Dick could do was listen as Bruce continued, "Then I saw the news reports. The Teen Titans had set up shop in Jump City, with Robin, "Batman's ex-sidekick", as their leader. It was then that I was forced to realize that you weren't coming back anytime soon.

"I had your brother suit up for the first time that night. I wasn't sure that he was ready, but I couldn't put it off any longer. Do remember what you said to me right before you left?"

Dick remembered. He remembered all too well the fateful sentence that he had hissed through gritted teeth before storming out of the Batcave more than three years ago.

"You said, 'Gotham doesn't need Robin anymore'," Bruce recalled with a pained smile. "You were wrong, though. Gotham will _always_ need a Robin. He's a key part of the legacy that upholds the morale of this city. He isn't replaceable, but he always has to come back somehow. He isn't allowed to disappear or - die." His voice quavered a little on the last word, but he cleared his throat and kept going. "By then I knew that you were ready: to head out on your own, to lead your own team. So I let go. Because I knew that it would develop you into your best - even if it meant losing a son."

By now, he was nearly completely choked up. So was Dick. "I'm still your son, Bruce," he managed to whisper.

After that, neither of them could speak anymore. The pair found themselves hugging like they hadn't done since Dick was a kid. Little by little, breathing steadied, tears dried, emotions settled, and limbs relaxed, until the two stood facing each other, red-eyed and grateful. Bruce took a deep breath. "I'm glad you decided to come back today."

He couldn't help but smile as he replied, "Me, too."

Then there was a rustling as Barbara reentered the clearing. It would have been obvious to her that they had both been crying, and Dick was thankful that the nature of this day for their family provided a decent cover, and the female Bat asked no questions. "Uncle Al says that dinner will be ready in another twenty minutes, and that the table is set for four." A subtle way of insisting that Richard stay regardless of any objections from _anyone_.

"Perhaps we ought to head in, then," suggested Bruce.

"I'd like to stay out here for a little while longer," Dick said. The older man nodded as he turned back towards the manor.

Barbara approached him. "Mind if I stay with you?" He shook his head and she placed a hand on his shoulder, both of the facing the carved stone in the ground in front of them.

For a while they just stood there like that, not really needing to say anything to one another. At last, Dick sighed. "I miss him."

"So do I. We all do," Babs responded in soft whisper, before turning her head to gaze at the tops of the trees. She murmured something under her breath that, as best as Dick could tell, sounded like, " _I miss_ her _, too._ " Then she shook her head slightly. "C'mon, it's probably time for us to head in."

So the two walked back to the manor together, each wrapped up in distant memories and whispers of the past that echoed with the voice of the wind.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

Long after the garden had been deserted, and while the family of Bats worked to dispel awkwardness over a delicious dinner, a shadow cast by the moon fell across the granite headstone. A hand reached out, catching velvet petals between finger and thumb. Then, the hand began to shimmer faintly. The branches of the rose plant stretched and unfurled in response. Thorny branches parted and followed the guiding touch of the shimmering hands, sprouting leaves and buds, buds opening into ivory and crimson blossoms. Vine-like tendrils wrapped behind the top corners of the stone before draping themselves over the top to meet at the front just above the first engraved line of letters. The shadow lengthened across the ground before gliding silently away - leaving the headstone in the leafy embrace of a heart shape.

* * *

 _A/N: Well, there's the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but this chapter kinda got away from me in the middle, and for a while I wasn't quite sure how to bring back. Thankfully I was able to rescue it with a little inspiration from the explanation that Reb Saunders gives to his son Danny towards the end of Chaim Potok's_ The Chosen _. Thanks so much for being patient with me! And yeah, I realize that the chapters have been getting shorter, so sorry about that, too._ _For this chapter's reference question: what was the name of the deceased boy whose grave Richard came visit? Please be sure to leave a review with your answer and any other comments you might have, because, seriously guys, this one is way too easy! See you next chapter!_


	5. Family Stories

_A/N: Hey! We're back again with another chapter! Well done to those of you who recognized whose grave Robin visited in the last chapter. I really made it pretty easy, though. For this chapter, I kind of just needed a filler in the main story line where they would fight some villain, so sorry if it seems a bit forced or awkward. However, things should really pick up in the next chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it! Also, we've hit the one thousand view mark for this story! Yay!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own 'Teen Titans', which is pretty obvious since I couldn't even decide which random villain the Titans were going to fight in this chapter without help from my sis. Oh well._

* * *

"Please, friends, does anyone wish to partake of this last slice?" inquired Starfire, holding up the piece of pizza in question.

"I'm good, thanks, Star," replied Raven, having already returned to her book and cup of tea after finishing her portion. However...

"I'll eat it!" yelled two male voices simultaneously. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy were looking eagerly at Starfire and waving at her.

Raven rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to make a comment about "boys" before another familiar voice was heard: "Hey, doesn't your fearless leader get any?"

The pair of shining peridots widened in shock and disbelief. The alien princess whipped around to face the voice, and the surprise and doubt in her face was instantly transformed into joy. "Robin!" she squealed ecstatically, rushing over to strangle him in an exuberant embrace.

"Easy, Star," he wheezed, and she quickly released him. Her enthusiasm was not diminished, however, as she took his hands and flew around him in circles, laughing, causing him to turn with her.

"You are home!" she cried joyfully. He had to smile at the statement. He may have been from Gotham, but _this was_ his home.

He pulled her in closer. "I'm glad to be back," he breathed into her shoulder. The sound of a cough caused him to look up.

"Yeah, dude, we're totally glad you're back, too," Beast Boy began, holding up the nearly empty pizza box, "but are you actually going to eat this? 'Cuz if not..."

Robin laughed despite Raven's chiding glare. "Just give me a minute to get my bag out of the way," he called. But before he had a chance, the crime alert sounded.

They all stood as Cyborg rushed to the Ops computer to see what the threat was. They saw his frame visibly relax. "Just old Dr. Light," he called as he turned back towards the others. "Oughta be a piece of cake." The real, unspoken reason for their relief hung heavily in air. _Thank goodness it's not Slade..._

In spite of herself, Raven's lip curled ever-so-slightly in distaste for their opponent. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

 **~#~#~**

As it turned out, however, the fight against Dr. Light was _not_ merely a "piece of cake." The Titans were a bit caught off guard by some new weaponry he had developed that gave off explosive waves of heat accompanied by a blinding flash.

"What? Don't appreciate the power of infrared radiation?" he sneered as Beast Boy reeled backwards, reverting from tiger form back to human. "I put this together after our last encounter with one another last month. The blast is so powerful that I was able to free members of the Brotherhood from the ice! Only the ones I liked, though."

" _You're_ the one that thawed them out? So that's how Mumbo got loose!" exclaimed Cyborg. He glared with murderous intent as he readied his sonic cannon. "Just wait 'til you get a piece of my mind."

"Mine, too," Beast Boy growled, shifting into a camel and spitting derisively at their opponent.

"Ours as well!" cried Starfire as she and Robin prepared to attack.

"And _mine_." Dr. Light gulped as Raven rose up from a pool of shadows at his feet to loom over him, cloak billowing and eyes flashing red.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I'd rather not wait; I have an urgent appointment that I need to be getting to." He had been steadily backing up as he spoke, and he now turned on his heel and attempted to bolt. With a very bored expression on her face, the sorceress pretended to study her fingernails as several tendrils of her magic reached out to ensnare the fleeing villain by his ankles and lifted him up into the air.

"Alright, alright! I surrender!" he cried from his upside-down state, frantically windmilling his arms. "Just get me away from her, please!"

"Whatever you say," Raven replied with a shrug before releasing her hold on him. He almost seemed hang suspended in midair for an instant before he began plummeting towards the pavement, screaming. The instant before he hit the ground, a dark portal opened up beneath him and swallowed him up, teleporting him straight to the police station.

The others simply stared at Raven for a moment as she turned and began to levitate back towards the tower. "We should get back before Robin's pizza gets cold," she called to the others over her shoulder.

Robin looked at the rest of his team and shrugged before putting on his motorcycle helmet. "Can't argue with that."

 **~#~#~**

As it turned out, he had needed to reheat the slice of pizza, anyways, but he hardly cared about such small inconveniences. Ever since his trip back to Gotham, a burden that he had almost forgotten he had been carrying was lifted from him. He and Bruce were on speaking terms again, and even though they hadn't worked everything out between them, they were finally heading in the right direction. Now he was sitting on the roof of the Tower, following his friends' orders to _relax_. And why not? He'd come home; they'd beaten Dr. Light; Slade hadn't - but, no, he wasn't going to ruin this perfect afternoon by thinking about that.

Starfire was sitting beside him, holding his hand, and together they were searching for shapes in the clouds that floated lazily over the bay.

"Ooo, and that one greatly resembles a seven-tongued _glipthark!"_ She pointed to a rather large cumulus cloud to the west of them.

Robin studied the cloud for a moment. "Looks kinda like an elephant to me."

"Oh yes, the _glipthark_ is very similar to your Earth elephants, except that it is amphibious and possesses many more teeth. And of course, six more tongues."

Robin shuddered. These _gliptharks_ sounded terrifying, and he hoped he never happened to meet one on any future visits to Tameran. "I think I prefer elephants."

She turned her head to look at him. "It is my understanding that many humans find the elephant intimidating due its large size and tusks. You do not share such views?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. Elephants may be big and powerful, but as far as humans are concerned, elephants are typically very gentle creatures. Especially once they get to know you."

She looked back up at the sky and shrugged. "If you say there is nothing to fear, then I believe you." She was silent for a moment before hesitantly asking, "How was your visit to Gotham?"

He shifted back so that he could recline on his elbow. "Honestly, not as bad as I was expecting. I have to admit, I really needed it. And it was good to finally pay my respects to my brother after so long."

"I - never knew you had a brother."

He could hear the caution in her tone. He couldn't blame her for it; he recalled how he had been intolerant of such probes in the past, either defensively avoiding his friends' question or blowing up at them. But he and Star were in a relationship now; deserved to know some things about his personal life. He squeezed her hand reassuringly as a way of letting her know all of this as he explained, "We're not biological brothers. We were both adopted by Batman as kids. Then when I left to come here, he took over being Robin in Gotham."

She was surprised by his willingness to share with her. "Were you very close?"

"Very. When the Joker killed him I-" he broke off for a moment, but continued "- I was devastated. But I couldn't stand the thought of going back to Gotham for any reason. I was too proud. So it was really good to head back there this weekend and finally pay my last respects to my brother."

The slender, supple fingers intertwined with his own gave a little squeeze of understanding and sympathy. Robin smiled. This was one of the things he loved so much about Kori. She would so often unwittingly overwhelm her friends with her alien strength that when she took the care to be gentle with him, he felt that it really signified her concern and affection for him. He squeezed back, both of them knowing that no words were needed as they continued to gaze up at the clouds.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

"I'll be with you in just a minute," the secretary called over her shoulder in response to the ring of the bell at the front desk. She turned the swivel chair away from the filing cabinet to see a teenaged brunette girl standing on the other side of the counter. "How may I help you? Are you here on a visit?"

The girl nodded. "I'm here to see Mrs. Lee. She was my childhood nanny."

The secretary was pleased at that. She knew of all too many residents who were hardly even visited by their own children and grandchildren, so to see a young person actively seeking out a childhood connection was a rare occurrence. "That's wonderful, dear," she replied, beaming, causing the girl to blush charmingly. "Let me call and see if she's in her room right now."

"She's not," one of the nurses replied as she passed by. "I just saw her out on the west lawn when I went to give Mr. Berkhalter his medications."

"I'll show you where that is," the secretary reassured the young visitor. "Just sign in, please." She pushed the open visitors' log and a fountain pen across the counter.

The girl hesitantly picked up the pen and hunched over the book to sign, her long, dark hair falling in a cascade around her face and arm. When she was finished, the secretary stood up and led her to the patio doors.

"Mrs. Lee?" she called as she approached the lawn chair where the elderly woman was sitting. "There's a young lady here to see you; you were her nanny when she was a child."

"Nanny?" Mrs. Lee murmured in confusion. "I don't remember-" Her eyes fell upon the teenager, who now appeared rather nervous, and her expression changed completely. She breathed out a single, barely audible word: " _Addy..._ "

The secretary had left by then, intending to give the two some privacy, but neither of them noticed. The girl dropped to her knees beside Mrs. Lee's chair, who cupped her chin with gnarled fingers, examining her face. "Yes," she whispered, almost to herself, "you are Addy's daughter."

"So you did know my mother," the teen exclaimed. "I came here to see what I could learn about her. Please, what can you tell me?"

"Wait," the older woman commanded, shooting her a sharp look. "Before you press any further, consider this: you were the daughter that Addy had always longed for and cherished above all, yet she willingly sent you away from herself and that household for your own safety and well-being, and with very good reason. Are you absolutely sure that you truly want to uncover the dark secrets that were kept from you for your own protection?"

The girl gazed back unflinchingly. "Ever since I began to question my history I've known that it must not've been pretty. But I'm determined to uncover the truth, and that's why I came here today. Please, I need to know my mother's story."

The woman challenged her with a look, but the girl did not back down, continuing to meet her gaze. "Very well," she replied at last, "but know that this story is not a pleasant one." She leaned back in her chair and prepared for an exhausting effort.

 **~#~#~**

The secretary looked up to see the young girl approaching once more, this time headed back towards the entrance to the facility. "Have a nice day!" she called cheerfully, but the girl seemed to be preoccupied and passed by without hearing. She was a bit taken aback, but being a generally forgiving person, she didn't mind terribly much. Still, out of curiosity she turned the visitors' log to face herself to see the girl's signature.

It wasn't difficulty to find; she had been the only person to visit so far that day. Upon locating it, however, the secretary found that the name had been smudged, as if the girl had signed with her left hand. Had she used her left hand? The woman couldn't recall. She studied the signature closely in the hope of being able to decipher it, but the lowercase letters were so small and cramped that they were hopelessly obscured by the smearing of the ink. All that she could make out were the capitals - something like a "T" and a "D" that must've been the girl's initials. "Darn these fountain pens," the secretary sighed before returning to her filing.

 **~#~#~**

The girl made her way through the crowded city streets, the people pressing around her seeming like little more than endlessly buzzing human shapes. All of her worst fears had just been confirmed through Mrs. Lee's testimony, and then some, but there was no turning back now. On the contrary, it was all too clear to her that Jump City was to be her next destination. She had been dreading this step of her journey even before she had any idea of all that it would hold for her, but it was something that had to be done. She had come this far. As she was passing by a department store that displayed television in its window front, something on one of the screens caught her eye. A news station was doing a feature about the Teen Titans and the various villains that they had faced over the years. A voice-over droned as clips of different villains flashed across the screen. Then, she saw something in one of them that made her doubt her own vision. She looked again during the next clip, paying closer attention this time, and sure enough, there it was again.

She took a step back from the window, trying to wrap her mind around it. It couldn't be possible - there was no way - and yet. After all, what had her time at the Haven taught her but that the impossible could often be accomplished, with no more than a few simple tricks? Maybe, just maybe, this was one of them...

She found herself smiling at her own reflection in the glass. It wouldn't hurt to put off the unpleasant task that she was about to face for a little while longer. She could stand to take a little detour once she made it to Jump City.

* * *

 _A/N: And there you have it! Chapter Five! But wait, did that secretary lady decide that our OC's initials were "T.D."? I thought we already knew that her first and last initials were "L.W."?! Well, looks like there's another mystery that we have yet to discover the solution to in our story. Feel free to leave a guess about the explanation, or about what it might've been that caught Miss OC's eye on TV, but I honestly doubt that anyone will get it. And yes, that is a challenge_ XD _Tune in next time in another two...three...six...however many months for the next installment!_


	6. Long-Lost Member

_A/N: Yay! We're back with another chapter! Thank you to those of you who left a guess about the various unexplained situations in the last chapter, but so far none of them are right, just as I suspected! So you'd better stay tuned if you find out what the real answer is! On another note, I have an apology to make: this chapter is short. I hadn't realized that it would turn out this way until I was nearly done with it, but there were some very particular things that I had planned for this chapter, and I simply could not find a way to expand on them any further. On the plus side, it did allow me to get this chapter out a lot more quickly than normal, so hopefully that makes up for things somewhat. In any case, please enjoy!_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own 'Teen Titans' DC blah blah blah...you know the drill by now._

* * *

The sound of the crime alert echoed through the nearly empty kitchen. Raven looked up from the tea kettle. "Who is it this time?"

"Just an ordinary burglary at a jewelry store," Robin replied from the computer, coffee cup in hand. At this hour, none of the other Titans were awake yet. "I'll go by myself. It's not worth waking the rest of the team."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Raven asked.

"I can handle it; the police are already there anyways. Besides, I need you in charge here while I'm gone. Shouldn't take me too long." And with that, he was off.

 **~#~#~**

Robin ran a green gloved finger over the edge of the roof. "He definitely came this way," he murmured under his breath, observing the scuff marks from a shoe or boot.

" _Very astute, kid,_ " he heard a synthesized voice remark from behind him. Even so, he could hear the smirk in it.

"Red X," he growled, turning to face the thief.

" _Good morning to you, too, bird boy,_ " X replied. He held up a dark colored bag, causing clinking sounds to issue from within. " _I suppose you're looking for this?_ "

"Hand over the jewelry, X," Robin demanded.

" _So clich_ é," Red X chided, and Robin didn't have to be able to see through the skull mask to know that the thief was rolling his eyes. " _And if you want these back, you're going to have to take them from me._ "

Robin growled again as X vaulted to the neighbor's roof. He had _not_ been looking forward to an early morning chase, but if that was what X wanted, then that was what he was going to get.

" _Gotta do better than that, birdie,_ " X taunted as Robin made a lunge for him and missed.

"Don't call me that," the hero snapped back, almost reflexively. He didn't have the patience this morning to dwell on the painful memories.

The thief, on the other hand, smiled beneath his mask as he bounded off. _Birdie_ hadn't changed one bit.

It was the same old game they always played, though Robin clearly wasn't having very much fun. X made sure of it, allowing the hero to become tantalizingly close before teleporting back out of his reach. It was far too easy, almost boring in fact. So he began to mess around a bit, betting with himself how close he could let Robin get to himself and still be able to teleport away in time. This mainly resulted in Robin becoming even more infuriated as he repeatedly failed to even touch the thief.

This went on for quite some time, until as they danced around the edge of a rooftop X gambled too much and lost, waiting just a little too long as Robin lunged for him. The master thief felt a sharp tug at his waist as Robin yanked his belt off, jerking him off balance, and all of a sudden he was falling.

Not for long though, as Robin was quick to catch hold of his wrists and heave him back onto the roof. No sooner were his feet back on solid concrete, however, than his arms were twisted behind his back and handcuffed. "Time to see who's hiding behind the mask," he heard Robin growl as he was spun around by the shoulders to face him.

Panic shot through him. "Robin, wait. Believe me, you don't want to do this," he tried to persuade him in desperation.

A surge of hope rose in him as he thought he saw a flicker of hesitation in the boy's face, before the expression changed to that of cold immovability.

He felt the fresh air against his face as the mask was ripped off, and he heard Robin gasp. He barely had time to register the look of shock on his brother's face shift into something darker before a sharp pain exploded in the side of his head and everything went black.

 **~#~#~**

Robin faintly realized in a distant part of his mind that the younger boy was lying unconscious on the roof after collapsing, and another part that was just as distant as the first was saying that he hadn't meant to knock him out. He honestly didn't care. He simply stood there in a stupor with the Red X mask and belt dangling from his fingers. He needed the time to process the fact that everything he thought he knew had just been overturned.

 _Jason was alive_. Not only that, but he had _stolen_ the Red X suit from him in was in turn using it to steal whatever else he wanted. All the memories of how close they had been made Robin want to give his younger brother the benefit of the doubt, but the thing felt too much like a complete betrayal. All of these things were flitting vaguely through his brain, but mainly he was filled with the kind of blank shock that makes you unable to even think.

He was only roused from this state of torpor by the sound of Jason's pained groans as he began to wake up. "Aughh," he wheezed, "I was expecting you to hit me, alright, but I didn't think it would be _that_ hard." He began to struggle into a sitting position when Robin's brotherly concern kicked in.

"Hey, take it easy," he cautioned, coming over to support him.

"Ah, so you do still care about me," the younger boy said with a grin that more closely resembled a pained grimace. "I was starting to wonder after that punch."

"Just hold still," Robin replied snappishly, still trying to make sense of the fierce jumble of emotions inside of him. One thing was clear to him, however: no one must know that Red X was Bruce Wayne's adopted son. "Can you walk? Let's head inside."

 **~#~#~**

It turned out that the building that they had been on top of was an abandoned, empty warehouse. Jason sank to his knees on the concrete floor, still recovering from the force of the blow that he had received from Robin. The hero, still holding the belt and mask in his hands, stood watching him for a moment as he panted, trying to catch his breath.

" _Why?_ "

The question startled both of them, with Robin looking as though he half wished he hadn't asked. But Jason was ready enough to answer.

"Gotta keep one step ahead of my enemies somehow," he said with a wry grin. "It was the easiest way."

"I could've helped you, you know," Robin reproached him, doing little to disguise the hurt in his voice. "You didn't have to take it this far."

There was an unsettling seriousness in the other boy's voice as he replied: "Dick. These are the kind of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on me, dead or alive. Preferably dead. And a whole - _league_ of them. As much as you'd already seen in Gotham, there was no way you were prepared to handle something like that at the time."

"And you _were_ prepared?" the hero shot back angrily. "You're younger than I am."

Jason looked Robin straight on as he told him without hesitation, "I've died once already. I'm prepared for anything."

The older boy was at a loss how to reply to this. As he stood there dumbly the expression on Jason's face softened. "I do regret not coming to see you at least then. You're my brother; you deserved to know that I was really alive."

A gruff "thanks" was all that Robin could manage at the moment, and Jason chuckled. But the Boy Wonder still had more to say: "I'm not going to give up your identity. Our family doesn't need that kind of scandal on top of everything else that we already have to deal with. But you do realize that you're going to have to undergo the consequences for the things you've done."

Jason appeared more downcast at this. "Yeah...I know..." he said slowly, seeming to fidget slightly. "...Just...maybe some other day." His tone changed to something more cunning on the last few words, and Robin was trying to decipher what it meant when Jason suddenly sprang at him, ripping the mask and belt from his grasp before leaping away. Robin gaped in shock at the spot where the neatly picked handcuffs were still clattering on the ground. The sound of Jason's footsteps on the staircase leading up to the roof galvanized him into action. He bounded up the stairs after the other boy, who was pulling the mask over his face and fastening his belt as he ran. He saw the ragged cape disappear into the glare of the sunlight above him, and he put everything he had into increasing his speed, bursting out into brightness upon the roof. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he saw Red X waving at him from across the expanse of concrete.

" _Keep the jewelry!_ " he called before pressing a button on his belt and vaporizing away.

Robin could do nothing but collapse to his knees and sit there with his legs folded beneath him.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

Two silhouettes stood motionless on the neighboring rooftops. Two figures blanketed themselves in deepest shadow, leaving nothing to be seen but dim outlines. Three eyes looked on as one masked boy was chased by another out onto the open rooftop before vanishing. Two smiles hid behind layers of darkness, expanding at the sight. Two plans revolving around the vanished boy, as different from each other as the owners of the silhouettes.

The parent of a hero. The child of a villain.

Only one was aware of the other's presence, but it was clear that their paths must soon cross, and that everything must change because of it.

* * *

 _A/N: And here we are. Like I said, short, but hopefully still exciting anyways. I'm just afraid that the next chapter is going to end up even shorter than this one was! Hopefully this doesn't become a habit. Anyways, now you know why this story is titled "Resurrection"! Or do you? Or is this the only reason? Only one way to find out..._


	7. Family Time

_A/N: Hey there! Welcome back to another chapter! Alas, my fears have been confirmed: this chapter has turned out shorter than the last. Much shorter in fact. I admit that there's a lot more detail I could have potentially added in, but I didn't want to mess too much with Jason's origins and what not, since there are a lot of different ways you can work it out. Instead, I've left it rather open ended so as not to terribly offend any strictly canon comic fans. Most of the important facts for this story I have either already laid out or am about to in this chapter, so let's get started!_

 _A/N: We're still doing this? I said get started! Fine, I don't own 'Teen Titans', okay? Now read!_

* * *

"Whoa, dude, are you okay?"

The question from Beast Boy served to pull Robin somewhat out of the daze that he had been in for the past few hours. It was a wonder he hadn't crashed his motorcycle on the way back to the Tower.

The rest of his team was gazing at him in concern. "Yeah, man, Raven told us you left around six thirty this morning, and it's almost lunch time. What happened out there? You look like you saw a ghost."

The irony of this was so strong that Robin actually laughed, but there was no mirth in it. "Close enough, anyways," he said despondently, sinking down on the couch where Starfire rushed to join him, taking his hand. He considered for a moment exactly what he wanted to say. "I saw somebody I knew who's supposed to be dead."

A hush fell over the room. "When you say 'supposed to be dead'," Raven inquired cautiously, "what exactly do you mean by that?"

Robin looked her in the eye as he replied, "I mean that he actually was dead."

"Hold up," Cyborg broke in. "Who's 'he'?"

"My brother, Jason," he answered sullenly.

"Wait, you have a brother?" Beast Boy cried.

At the same time Starfire asked, "Was it not his death that you returned to Gotham City to commemorate?" Robin nodded miserably. "Then how is it possible that he could now be alive after two years?"

"That's what I don't understand either, Star."

Everyone else was utterly baffled by this point. "Robin, I think you'd better start from the beginning," Raven told him.

He drew in a deep breath. "You all had probably better sit down, then. This is going to take a while."

The others took seats on the couch and the nearby floor as Robin prepared to begin: "It all started when Batman found this kid by the Batmobile one night..."

 **~#~#~**

The team sat in silence for a long time after Robin had finished. He was recovering from telling the story as the rest attempted to process it. They were struggling, however.

"Let me get this straight," Cyborg asked once more. "It turns out that Red X is really your brother?"

"Who died two years ago and somehow came back to life since then?" Beast Boy broke in.

"And his name is Jason?" Raven finished.

Robin nodded in confirmation to all of these questions. "But how?" Cyborg cried out in vexation. "How is it possible for somebody to just come back to life."

"I can think of a few ways," Raven put in. "All of which involve some form of various demonic rituals."

The only response to this rather morbid answer was a weak "oh". Then another silence as Starfire rubbed Robin's back comfortingly, trying to be supportive simply in her silence.

"Dang," Beast Boy finally said, shaking his head. "In one day we find out that Robin has a brother named Jason who was also Robin and died two years ago before coming back to life by a demonic ritual and turns out to actually be Red X - and we still don't know Robin's real name!"

"BB," Cyborg broke in reproachfully. "He's already told us a lot, and it's been pretty hard on him. Don't push him too much -"

"Richard." Startled, everyone looked towards Robin, including Star. "My given name is Richard," he continued, not flinching under their gazes in the least.

"Richard, huh?" said Beast Boy. He was as surprised as any of the others, but his mischievous nature soon took over once more. "So, can we call you Dick for short?"

"Only inside the tower," the Boy Wonder cautioned sternly. Then he softened. "But, sure, if you want to."

"Look, Richard," Raven spoke up in an attempt to refocus the conversation. "We're all a more than a little shocked by everything you've just told us about your brother and Red X, myself included. But I promise you that all of us want to stand by you and support you as we try to figure this out together."

Everyone else nodded and murmured in agreement, and Robin smiled. "Thanks guys."

But the alien princess still bore the marks of a frown between her brows. "Please," she asked, "how does 'Dick' serve as a shortened form of Richard?"

Robin laughed before beginning to explain the appellation to her.

* * *

 **~#~#~#~**

* * *

He was starting to grow tired.

Red X hated to admit it, even to himself, but the chase through the sewers had been going on for so long that there was no denying it anymore: he was being worn out. His muscles were beginning to ache from the nonstop running, and his lungs burned as he panted behind his mask.

His pursuer, on the other hand, seemed to be hardly out of breath, the shadowy, cloaked figure following him relentlessly through miles of underground tunnel, never letting up the pace and never allowing him a moment's rest. Teleportation was no longer an option either; he had lost all sense of direction from the endless twists and turns, making it impossible to know that he wouldn't be sending himself to suffocate in a wall of concrete. He was starting to wonder whether whoever was chasing him was actually _human_. No way a real person could have this kind of stamina.

A wall suddenly looming up before him forced him to come screeching to a halt. He had run into a dead end.

Before he was able to even begin contemplating his options, a blast hit him from behind, knocking him to his knees and surrounding him with rings of crackling energy that pinned his arms to his sides. He figured that it was worth risking suffocation to just _get out of here_ , and pressed the button on his belt to activate the teleport, but it simply fizzled out. " _Perfect_ ," he growled.

The mystery figure paced leisurely to where X could finally get a complete view of them. Not that there was much more that he could see, though. The figure was dressed in something like a black trench coat that flared out into a full length cloak from the waist down. Their face was hidden deep within the folds of a hood, and black gloves covered the fingertips that peeked out from the sleeves of the cloak. They were shaking their head and clucking their tongue at them. A single phrase was spoken in a low, intimidating tone: "What a pity."

" _Pardon?_ " he inquired, doing his best to appear unimpressed by the theatrics of his assailant. The mask certainly helped at times like this.

They shrugged nonchalantly as they replied in the same tone. "Nothing much. Just that it seems a waste of talent to choose to be nothing more than a petty criminal. With your level of skill, you could have easily been a Titan or some other form of hero, if you wanted to."

" _I believe 'if' serves as the operative word in that statement_ ," he shot back coolly. " _Why don't you worry about your own life, and I'll handle mine?_ "

"Disappointing." The figure shook their head. "But then again, did I really expect anything more from Jason Todd?" The name was pronounced so casually, he almost missed it. Then, he really began to panic.

" _Listen, buddy,_ " he said, glad that the voice modulator in his suit helped to obscure his fear. " _I don't care who you think I am; you're wrong. You know nothing about me._ "

"Perhaps not," was the unconcerned reply. "Or perhaps I know more about you than anyone else in the world." The tone shifted over this last sentence - he _knew_ that voice. Gloved fingers flicked back the hood, and soft laughter pervaded the tunnels as Jason gaped at a face he had never expected to see again.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey there again! Woo, we've made it this far! The main point of this chapter was to show a cute bonding moment between the team, and to provide a segue into the next really big event in this story (and yes, that is how that word is spelled). Believe it or not, we've reached the point where everything begins to converge! So while this chapter may have seemed a little bland, things are about to get much more exciting! Someone also asked about the age difference between Dick and Jason in this story; it should become more clear later on, but I've placed Jason to be about a year or so younger with Robin a few months shy of eighteen. Hopefully that helps to clarify things. Thank you also, Guest, for the lovely reviews_ XD _And where are you, Poksie?! You were so faithful!_ _'_ _Til we meet again in chapter eight!_


End file.
